


Before The World Fell At Our Feet

by lunarknightz



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 20:39:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6769087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarknightz/pseuds/lunarknightz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Did You really think I wouldn't come?"</i>
</p>
<p>Tony needs someone.  Of course she's there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before The World Fell At Our Feet

When he sees her, he thinks that’s she’s a mirage. She wouldn’t be here. Not now.  

“You…you…You’re here.” Tony manages to stutter. He’s wined and dined with movie stars, _Sports Illustrated_ cover models, and even _Playboy_ bunnies; but all it takes is the sudden appearance of one Pepper Potts in a smart business suit to turn him in a basket case.   

“Did you _really_ think I wouldn’t come?” she asks. “At a time like this?”

  “I realize the loss of _American Idol_ is wearing heavy on us all, but trust me, Ryan Seacrest will find work again, eventually. And you know, he could always go on _Dancing With the Stars_.”

  “Tony.” Pepper sighs. “You don’t have to put on a front for me. I heard about Rhodey. Hell, I’ve been to see Rhodey I know that this is tearing you up inside.” 

 “Rhodey’s a big boy. He’s doing better…some of the kids at MIT that we gave a scholarship to… well, they’ve got some awesome ideas on how they can make Rhodey the new six million dollar man or what not, well, you know adjusted for inflation. They can rebuild him…make him better. They’re creating the technology.”

“Steve told me about your parents.”

“He shouldn’t have done that. It wasn't his place. But when has that ever stopped him?"

”  Steve thought you might need a friend.”  

“Is that what we are? I kind of thought we took a break from everything, Pepper.”

  “For crying out loud, Tony.” An exasperated Pepper threw her hands in the air in disgust. 

“For a long time before there was ever an **us** , we were friends. I’ve been your friend since the first day that I started at Stark Industries, and no matter if we’re together or not, I’m still going to care for you. There is nothing that is going to change that!”  

“Excuse me, but...You know, it kind of felt the other way when you wouldn’t return my calls. Or my Facebook messages. Or my Snapchats.”  

“I needed a break, Tony! You deal with so much of the extraordinary and the fantastic with being Iron Man that I think you forget that some of us aren’t exactly comfortable having drinking parties with gods and judging science fairs with androids!”

  “Well, not everybody is cool like me. I’ve set the banner pretty high, I admit. But the last thing I imagined when I proposed is that you’d turn your tail and run!”

“I got scared, Tony!”

 “Scared?”  

“Marriage is a pretty big step, Tony! I…I wasn’t ready. I watched my parents marriage implode, and I couldn’t stand that if that happened to us. I put on a pretty good show, but I’m a mess. I still have nightmares about Extremis, I’m terrified that I’ll make a shoddy business decision and run Stark Industries in to the ground, and I feel like I’m pretty much stitched together with numerous cups of coffee and an unhealthy amount of Red Bull. I’m a mess, Tony. A disaster.”  

Tony was silent for a moment. “But you’re a beautiful one.” 

“Excuse me?”  

“A beautiful disaster. _My_ beautiful disaster.” He came close to Pepper, and reached out and touched a lock of her red hair, brushing it away from her face. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”  

“I’ve heard that there will be sonnets. Long form plays. Encyclopedias…” she said softly, leaning closer to him. 

In the middle, their lips met in a kiss.

“So what does this mean? Is our break over? The long national nightmare at an end?”  

“If anything," Pepper sighed, "It was a conscious uncoupling.” 

  “Oh?”    
“I’m ready to give us another try. If we take it slow.”  

“Slow works for me.” Tony said, squeezing her hand. “I can work with that. But you should know, if I was ever to make a lovely lady the next Mrs. Stark, it would most definitely be you.”  

“If I was ever going to make lucky guy the next Mr. Potts, it would be you. And I hope one day, that I’ll be there.”

  “That sounds amazing.” Tony replied. “I’ve found that talking to a therapist with your problems helps an awful lot, but my latest doc turned all feral and green and stole my best jet. I have no idea where he is.”

  “Bruce will turn up, I’m sure.” Pepper smiled shyly. “But I really don’t want to talk about him right now. It kills the mood.” She kissed Tony deeply.

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Tony returned the embrace.   

“Do you think things will get better?” He asked, not sure if he was speaking of their relationship, the blinding anger he still felt after finding the truth about his parents’ deaths, or the breakup of the _Avengers_ and the accords.

 “All things will get better, Tony.” Pepper said, hugging him close. “In time.”


End file.
